Day: May 26, 2023

Four candidates have picked up nomination forms to contest the presidential candidate race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The four including Mr Boakye Agyarko, a former Energy Minister, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, a former General Secretary of the NPP and Mr Francis Addai-Nimo, a former Member of Parliament for Mampong and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, an Economist cum corporate executive, picked the forms at the Party’s Headquarters at Asylum Down, in Accra, on Friday.

The NPP, on Friday, May 26, opened nominations for the election of its Presidential candidates for the 2024 general elections.

The exercise, which began today, would end on June 24, 2023.

The one-month exercise kick-starts the processes for the final leg of the party’s internal elections to elect a presidential candidate for the NPP slated for Saturday, November 4, 2023, to contest on the ticket of the party in the 2024 presidential election.

Speaking to the media after picking nomination forms for their respective candidates, the representatives expressed confidence in the chances of their aspirants.

Dr Benjamin Ashitey Amarh, Spokesperson for Mr Agyarko’s Campaign Team, who picked the forms on his behalf, said Mr Agyarko was the best candidate for the Party to retain power in 2024.

He described Mr Agyarko as the ‘engine’ of public policy in the NPP, noting that, he would restore hope for the ordinary Ghanaian when given the nod.

Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku’s team said the NPP and Ghana needed a leader with political experience and economic prowess to turn the fortunes of the country around.

Mr Kwame Obiri Nkansah, Director of Communication, Friends of Apraku, who picked up the forms, said, ‘We must go back to the basis if we want to address this economic crisis. Going to basis means growing what we eat and producing what we wear and this is the focus of Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku.’

For Mr George Armstrong Antwi, Director of Communications, Friends of Francis Addai-Nimo, who picked the forms on his behalf, urged the Party delegates to elect a candidate who had not served in the current government.

According to him, putting any member of the current government up as the flag bearer would spell doom for the Party as it had shown in past elections of 2004, 2008 and 2016.

Party bigwigs including Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Alan Kyerematen, former Trade Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Food and Agriculture Minister and Mr Kennedy Agyepong, MP for Assin Central, who have all made their intentions to contest for the Party’s flagbearer slot are expected to pick up their nomination forms in the coming days.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Hanny Sherry Ayittey, a former Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, says there must be a deliberate and concerted efforts towards the fight for the rights of women and children.

Citing the Interstate Succession Law 1885 (PNDC 111), she said non-governmental organisations must lead such advocacy and ensure that laws were implemented to the latter to safeguard women expecially widows.

She made the call at the launch of the BernHoffman Care Foundation, a non-governmental African charitable organisation aimed at supporting the vulnerable in society, eradicating poverty, and promoting their social well-being for a sustainable future.

The BernHoffman Care Foundation works hand-in-hand with communities to empower widows, students, and children in those communities by finding innovative, locally-led solutions to bring about their individual development and economic development.

Dr Ayittey, also a former Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, said women played a major role in the socio-economic development of society, thus the need to protect them, especially the vulnerable ones.

Dr Bernardette Hoffman, President, BernHoffman Care Foundation, said the Organisation worked to fight poverty and promote social well-being through philanthropy, with a specific focus on the vulnerable in society.

She said the Organisation continued to work towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 8, 10, 11 and 17 on reducing poverty, zero hunger, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities and partnerships respectively.

‘We are dedicated to supporting initiatives that promote economic empowerment, social justice, education and environmental sustainability all in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through these avenues, we aim to foster inclusive growth and build a better world for generations to come,’ she said.

She noted that the Organisation recently completed its first skills development training, which equipped 102 participants with skills in fashion and designing, hairdressing, soap-making, and baking, among others.

Dr Hoffman said the Organisation was working towards building a food bank that would support communities.

She added that, as part of efforts to reduce hunger, the Organisation was working to begin its morning breakfast trolleys for 15 public schools.

Source: Ghana News Agency

MTA International Africa and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), are organising a training session for staff to enhance content creation for broadcast and online distribution.

This year’s training programme, which commenced on Monday, May 22, 2023, is expected to end on Friday, May 26, 2023, on the topic of ‘Editing and Colour Correction.’

A statement issued in Accra by MTA International Africa said the trainer for this year’s programme was Mr Fateh Shams Sahib, a facilitator from Sweden.

It said Mr. Fateh served as a Member of the wider MTA team and had experience working on several projects for the Swedish National TV, and other media houses, as well as the production of movies and feature films.

The training workshop is expected to train persons involved with the creative and daily production of scheduled and featured programmes, train participants to produce overall improved presentations on digital platforms as well as show how GBC can aspire to become a high-end broadcaster.

MTA International Africa is part of the global television network, MTA International, the official television station of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, with its international headquarters in London.

It said MTA International Africa had branches in more than 10 African countries.

The statement said in its quest to improve public broadcasting, MTA International Africa had collaborated with various national broadcasters across the African continent.

It said the collaboration with GBC and MTA International Africa had been an annual affair.

‘The annual training programme has been in place since 2015,’ it added.

It said MTA International Africa had provided training to GBC personnel in a vast array of media-related areas, such as script writing, social media marketing, studio lighting, and set design, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority has expressed its reservations over the approval of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, the Chief Justice nominee.

Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader and Ranking Member of the Appointment Committee of Parliament, in his opening remarks during the vetting of the nominee, said his side of the House would like to read the reasons by the Court for its ruling in the case of Mr James Gyakye Quayson.

By the ruling Parliament is to expunge all records on Mr Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North.

‘We are of the view that we should be given the opportunity to get a copy of the ruling so that we can be able to ask the nominee questions based on her ruling,’ Dr Forson said.

‘We are going to start the vetting using the information that we have but unfortunately we cannot conclude on the matter until we have the ruling on the latest judgement that she (Chief Justice nominee) took part.’

He said they had started the process and that they wanted an opportunity to conclude on that particular matter.

Mr Mahama Ayariga, the MP for Bawku Central, and Member of the Appointment Committee, reiterated the reservations by the Minority side of the Committee on participating in the vetting of the Chief Justice Nominee.

That was because she participated in the decision of the Court involving Mr Gyakye-Quayson, which asked that his name be struck out of the records of MPs, he said.

He noted, however, that the Chief Justice nominee, as a member of the panel of the Court, did not give reasons for the judgement.

‘So, as we speak, we don’t know the basis on which the court arrived at that conclusion and there is uncertainty among us members of Parliament,’ he said.

‘Knowing that our Supreme Court is also our Constitutional Court, that should guide us as a country in terms of how we run public affairs.’

Mr Ayariga said it was a very divisive matter and that the Minority thought the Court would have carried all of them along by giving the reasons for the judgement.

‘… Because when the Court gives a judgement and doesn’t give a reason, in between, people fill it with propaganda and speculations, which just divide the country. It doesn’t help us to move along together as one people,’ he said.

He said the reasons in that judgement would enable the Minority to evaluate the Chief Justice Nominee in addition to other information she had already provided to the House.

He noted that the Minority Members of the Committee reached a negotiated position with the colleagues on the Majority side in which they had been assured that they would not vote on the Chief Justice nominee after the hearing and that when the Supreme Court gave its reasons, they would have another opportunity to assess the nominee on the basis of the quality of the ruling, upon which the Committee could take a decision.

Justice Sackey Torkornoo, in her response, said: ‘I have delivered hundreds of judgements from the High Court till now, I think that it would have been of a great relief to know that I am assessed on my work as a whole.’

Touching on the judgements of the Supreme Court, she said the Supreme Court was not a Court unless five people were sitting and that in constitutional matters they were seven.

‘So, seven people are working together and that is why very often, indeed, almost invariably every judgement given by the Supreme Court, the reasons come long after the orders and the rulings, because that is how we work,’ Mrs Justice Sackey Torkorno said.

She said that the Supreme Court had a discretion to reserve its reasons for a later date and because of the nature of the panel, the Court took time to come up with its reasons to ensure that the outcome was accepted by every member of the panel.

Mr Joseph Osei-Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Appointment Committee, said the Committee had not precluded anybody from asking the Chief Justice nominee any question.

He noted that because the judgement of the Supreme Court was yet to be made available, that did not prevent the Committee from concluding its work; saying: ‘I don’t think we should encourage that kind of thing’.

Mr Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, urged the Supreme Court to exercise discretion in matters that were politically sensitive or else the whole nation could be thrown into a state of confusion.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in April, nominated Mrs Justice Torkorno to fill in the vacancy following the retirement of Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The two darling clubs of the North West were in action Thursday, May 25, for their matches counting for the 32nd finals of the Cup of Cameroon.

PWD Social Club of Bamenda whitewashed Dream Olympique, an amateur club from the East Region, 7-1 at the Yaoundé Omnisports Annex Stadium thanks to a brace from Heka and goals from Blaise, Dieudonné, Tangko, Awahmukala, Bello Karim. The Abakwa boys will in the 16th finals face the winner of the match between Fauve Azur and Épervier of Ebolowa.

Yong Sports Academy of Bamenda on their part could not resist the current holders of the Cameroon Cup, Coton Sports of Garoua as the Boys of Blaise Ndikum bowed 0-4 at the Bertoua stadium.

This result summarizes the team’s difficult season this year.

Another Club from the North West Region that was scheduled this Thursday was Rangers of Bafut whose match against Union of Douala could not take place. Closed sources say the Director of the Bandjoun Stadium where the match was programmed, did not give them access to the stadium for unknown reasons.

Other matches will be played this Friday, May 26th with the Vice Champions of Cameroon, Bamboutos FC of Mbouda to face Africa FA at Limbe the Limbe Centenary Stadium.

Foncha Street of Bamenda will face Atlantic of Kribi at the CAF excellence centre.

32nd final matches of the 2023 Cameroon Cup scheduled to be played at the Mbouda Arena Stadium might be relocated.

The Mbouda Arena Stadium has temporarily been suspended for a 30-day period by the National Sports Facilities and Equipment Board.

The suspension note is contained in correspondence from the Board’s Administrator, François Félix Ewane to FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o on Wednesday, May 24.

The main reason for the suspension as mentioned in the letter is the degrading nature of the pitch due to its high utilization rate, thus needing particular attention.

During this period, the pitch will be upgraded to normal standards.

Futsal 2023:

Gazelle FA of Garoua has won both the 2023 Futsal League and the Cameroon Cup.

The Boys from Garoua won both titles in the National Futsal tournament that ended on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at the Gymnasium of Mfandena in Yaoundé.

They beat AS Ngoto of the South region 5-1 to win the national championship and equally defeated the representative of the East region to win the Cup of Cameroon.

In the female category, EEFA of the West Region defeated AJSAC in a penalty shootout 5-4 to win the Cameroon Cup title while AJSAC won the league title.

Source: Cameroon News Agency